A little blog about life, family, food, and living in the beautiful Pacific Northwest

Friday, September 5, 2008

I'll Stop The World and Melt With You -- Tuna Melts (Second Try At Posting!)

Ok, Folks. Let's try this again! The first time I posted, something bizzaro happened and not everyone could access my blog. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that it works this time around!

Diner Food. What images do those two words conjure up for you? Diner + Food. Do you think of heaping stacks of pancakes dripping with maple syrup? Perhaps an open face roast turkey sandwich with mashed potatoes smothered in gravy comes to mind. Maybe you are thinking about an oversized parfait glass loaded with scoops of ice cream and hot fudge. Picture, if you will, a place buzzing with local patrons seated in past-their-prime colored booths with elbows resting on chrome trimmed tables. In my mind's eye, I also see a string of black backless bar stools lining the counter beckoning those souls who don't want to wait for a booth to open up. One definite must-have signifying a good diner is a couple of waitresses who can handle the Sunday morning crowd with ease and always manage to keep the orders straight. Beverage refills flow freely, and there's an air of welcome in the atmosphere.

I love diners. I'm talking about real diners, not dumpy dives, but real diners. You know the kind I'm talking about ... those quaint eateries that have been around for years and years, and have managed through good food and great service, to hold onto their clientele despite the influx of giant restaurant chains. Now don't get me wrong, those chains serve a purpose, too. Yet I have a soft spot for diners, especially family operated ones, and always enjoy the comfy feel when eating at one.

Recently while on vacation, my girls and I were far from the madding crowd, in the multitude of peninsulas and islands just southwest of Seattle. The small village we stayed in was absolutely darling, with lots of natural areas and state parks nearby where I took the girls on a little hike (Gasp! And I lived to tell the tale, too!) to the water front, where they thoroughly enjoyed throwing rocks in the water and just goofing around.

After our hike, there was a little diner that we ate at, and all three of us fell in love with it. It was small and cramped, yet the service and food were terrific. When our server came to the table, I inquired about some gluten free choices for my wee one, and the server immediately told my daughter that she would personally make something special just for her that's not on the menu. She ended up serving my babe this luscious peanut soup that was made with sauteed vegetables, peanut butter, and broth. Little miss slurped up every drop, and I mean every drop.

That's what I love about diners. That personal touch expounding friendly values. Here we were strangers to the server (who was actually one of the owners), and she took the time to do something kind for us. Have you ever had a server go the extra mile for you without even asking? I really value good servers, and show my appreciation via an appreciative tip.

One menu item that you'll find at most diners is a tuna melt. Have you ever had one? There's something magical about a grilled sandwich, and grilling transforms tuna salad into something comfy and satisfying. I've experimented with this particular sandwich the past couple of days, and I think I've found a winner. Here's the deal.

First, slice your tomato and lightly sprinkle with garlic salt if desired. Prop the plate holding the tomato at a slight angle to drain the juice away. Next, butter one side of each slice of bread. Take one slice, butter side down, and layer with a) tuna salad, b) 1/2 the shredded cheese, c) tomato, d) remaining 1/2 shredded cheese, d) bacon, and e) American singles.

The layering technique is important -- as the cheese melts, it "binds" the sandwich together and keeps the ingredients from slipping out as you take bites.It was a test of my inner strength to not pick that bacon off and nibble on it. :-)

I tested many types of cheeses, and to get just the right combo of melt and flavor, I found using a little shredded cheese as well as American singles fit the bill. Top with the remaining slice of bread, butter side out. Heat a skillet on med high, and carefully place sandwich in skillet. Keep a close watch, and flip the sandwich over when golden brown. Use a wide spatula because the sandwich is really full. Cook on the second side until golden brown. Remove pan from heat, and place a lid on top (or cover with foil). Let sit for 2-3 minutes to really melt the cheese. Serve immediately. This last step really melts the cheese perfectly while keeping the bread crunchy crisp. Otherwise, you'd risk having burnt bread because you'd have to have it in the skillet a looong time to perfectly heat the insides of the sandwich.

Ooooh, I can't wait for you to experience the unbelievable satisfying crunchiness of the bread, married with the melted cheese, smoky bacon, bright tomato-yness, and tasty tuna. This is a hearty sandwich, and could easily fit the bill for either lunch or dinner. I made one for lunch, and could only eat half of it ... even then I was stuffed. I had a tall refreshing glass of lemonade with mine, but I could see drinking a glass of milk with this too.

What diner food should I explore next? Now that the weather is starting to show signs of Fall, I think I'll try something warm and comforting. Any suggestions?

You are making me hungry - I worked in diner as a teenager, and made sammies similar to that. The only thing different was that we would butter both sides, then grill one side, flip the bread and add the grated cheese. We placed a pan lid over the sandwich at that time which was still in two halves. The lid made the cheese melt in a jiffy while the second side was toasting. To finish we sometimes added carmelized onions and peppers before putting the two halves together. Delish!

I love that song!!! I also love diner food. It's comforting, casual and reminds me of my Mom's cooking. There is nothing like a good tuna melt and yours looks fantastic. I've never put bacon on mine before but I'll be trying it next time.

When I think of diner food I always think of meatloaf or open faced sandwiches and of course milkshakes!

Deborah: Yeah, real diners are getting hard to find. That's why I like to stop at them if I can.

PGL: This really is a special meal time sandwich. Wholesome and satisfying ... what a deal!

Throwback at Trapper Creek: I bet you were a hoot to have around the diner! I wish I had a diner sized grill to cook my different sammie experiments on! Including trying variations with carmelized onions and peppers! Man, now I'm hungry!

Pam: Thanks for the heads up this morning! How about an open faced meatloaf sandwich with a malt or milkshake for dessert! I haven't had meatloaf in a while and it's been years since I had a malt or milkshake. Hmmm ... that gives me some ideas!

Linda: My oldest girl loves mac and cheese, another diner classic. Then there are all the fettucini recipes. Long ago there was a great Noodles Romanoff recipe that would fit the bill nicely. Hmmm ... more ideas rolling around in my head now!

Noble Pig: Thanks for checking in again! Perhaps there will be a sweet diner in your new Oregon hometown that dishes up some favorites!

Jan: Thanks for trying again and coming back.! Hope the problem is long gone. My pictures still posted as HTML, but at least it worked!

Steamy: Oh, you've gotta try at least one!

Ohiomom: You'll be glad you tried one!

Pam: The bacon, as bacon does in all things, made the sammie taste sooo good!

Paninikathy: Thanks for visiting! I love panini's and this would be so good made that way! Wish I had a panini press!

Bridgett: The girls and I had a great time together. My son was actually at a camp about 45 minutes from where we were (the reason we headed up there in the first place), so we picked him up on the way home!

I haven't had a tuna melt in years! I have to say yours looks darn good!! I never realized how many awesome diners there where around the country till I saw Diners,Drive In's, and Dives on the Food Channel. Everytime I turn on FN lately all you ever see is Guy F. A little overkill I would say! :)

About Me

Movies that will change your life!

Homeschool Tips and Tools: 2010

Bananagrams! Not too long ago, my kids and I discovered a great new game called Bananagrams. Far more fast paced and loads easier to play than Scrabble, this game requires only a table top and kids to get the fun underway. Better yet, adults and kids of all ages can play together. The playing pieces come packaged in a delightful, banana colored and shaped, zippered cloth pouch. It's free formed fun, and great entertainment for the entire family.

From a homeschooling perspective, it's a great tool to segue into creative writing or story telling. My kids create their own Bananagram "puzzle" and then use the words they created to write or tell an impromptu story. Silly or serious, all type of stories are encouraged!

The book titled English from the Roots Up by Joegil K. Kundquist has rapidly become one of my favorite resources for building a strong vocabulary base for my children. This spiral bound book provides both Latin and Greek word roots that provides students with tools to help them determine word meanings. I absolutely love it, and the rapid results that I see in my children are amazing. This is way better than a spelling program; by studying word roots, my children are gaining a much broader understanding of language and the power of words. The lessons are very easy to administer, short in duration, and my kids enjoyed them.

On the writing frontier, there is a book called Story Starters, Helping Children Write Like They've Never Written Beforeby Karen Andreola that provides writing prompts in the form of partially written stories for children to complete. While I found the book to be just ok, my children love it. I read the partially written story aloud, and they write the rest. The kids really enjoyed doing this as each of them looked forward to hearing the other's completed versions. This ended up being a great experience as the kids really wanted to impress their siblings with their version, and thus put more effort into their writing.

And for the grammar enthusiast lurking inside your student, here's a great book that explains how to diagram sentences. Diagraming Sentences by Deborah White Broadwater is a 46 page workbook complete with an answer key, and is perfect for your middle schooler.

Does your student embrace Science? Do you need quality supplies to conduct more in depth experiments at home? Check out Home Science Tools. I'm very impressed with the quality of the products we just ordered. Beakers, flasks, stirring rods, thermometers, chemicals, safety equipment, and so much more can be found and ordered on their website. www.homesciencetools.com . The items we received were top quality, the customer service rep was super, and the items were extremely well packed and delivered as promised. Look out Bill Nye ... future scientists in the house!Lapbooking and Notebooking are buzz words in the homeschool community. Here are two great resources for incorporating those strategies into your learning curriculum. Big Book of Booksby Dinah Zike and The Ultimate Lap Book Handbookby Tammy Duby and Cyndy Regeling helped me enhance our homeschooling experience using lapbooks. The content found in these books enabled me to teach a group of homeschool mom's how to incorporate lapbooking into their curriculums. You'll want to laminate your copies as they will get pulled off the shelf over and over again.